''The Decline'' is an EP by

NOFX NOFX () is an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1983. Vocalist/bassist Fat Mike, guitarist Eric Melvin and drummer Erik Sandin are original founding and longest-serving members of the band, who have appeared on every ...

. It was released on November 23, 1999. The CD version consisted of only the 18-minute title track, but the vinyl included a different version of "Clams Have Feelings Too" (from ''

Pump Up the Valuum ''Pump Up the Valuum'' is the eighth studio album by the American punk rock band NOFX. It was released on June 13, 2000, on Epitaph Records, their last through the company. Production The album's title deliberately misspells the trademark "Dia ...

'') on the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

. ''The Decline'' is largely a satire of American politics and law, with an overwhelming concern for blind behaviors of the masses, such as complacency, indifference, gun violence, drug-use, and conformity, as well as destruction of

constitutional right A constitutional right can be a prerogative or a duty, a power or a restraint of power, recognized and established by a sovereign state or union of states. Constitutional rights may be expressly stipulated in a national constitution, or they may ...

s, and condemnation of the religious right. Although the lyrics are somewhat disjointed, they all refer back to the unifying theme of the "decline" of America. The

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the Standing wave, air column ...

is played by Lars Nylander of

Skankin' Pickle Skankin' Pickle was an American ska punk band formed in San Jose, California that was active from 1989 to 1997. Biography Skankin' Pickle first formed in December 1988, made up of students from Westmont High School and Los Gatos High School. T ...

. According to the band, The first 155 copies were pressed on clear vinyl, a version which is no longer available. The first 1 min and 20 seconds of a live version of ''The Decline'' is played as an encore after "Stickin' In My Eye" on ''

They've Actually Gotten Worse Live! ''They've Actually Gotten Worse Live!'' is a live album by punk rock band NOFX. The album is their second live recording, following their 1995 album ''I Heard They Suck Live!!'' On September 26, 2007, the band posted a bulletin from their MyS ...

'' (2007) before being faded out. A DVD featuring a live performance of The Decline was released on September 12, 2012. In 2016, an orchestral arrangement was released as part of the '' Mild in the Streets: Fat Music Unplugged'' compilation album, recorded by Baz and His Orchestra. Additionally, a video of the performance has been released. In 2019 NOFX and Baz's Orchestra recorded a live version while performing at the

Red Rocks Amphitheatre Red Rocks Amphitheatre (also colloquially as simply Red Rocks) is an open-air amphitheatre built into a rock structure in the Western United States, western United States, near Morrison, Colorado, west of Denver. There is a large, tilted, flyi ...

in Morrison, Colorado and it was subsequently published in 2020.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Decline NOFX EPs Fat Wreck Chords EPs 1999 EPs Albums produced by Ryan Greene

See also

References